Piz Lunghin
Encyclopedia
Piz Lunghin is a mountain in the Swiss canton of Graubünden
, located in the Albula range
, overlooking the Maloja Pass. It can be considered as the "roof of Europe" as the water running off the mountain can head towards the Atlantic
, Mediterranean
or Black Sea
.
(east) and Bregaglia
(west) valleys. The Maloja Pass
, which connects the two valleys, is located 2 km south-east from the peak. The north side of the mountain lies in the protected area Parc Ela
.
The notable triple watershed is in fact located 600 metres from the summit itself, at the Lunghin Pass, at 2645 m (46°24′48.70"N 9°39′49.20"E). The north-west side gives birth to a river ending in the Gelgia, a tributary of the Albula
, itself a tributary of the Rhine. From the south-west side the water flows towards the Mera River
in Val Bregaglia, a tributary of the Po
. Finally the Inn River
originates from Lägh dal Lunghin
below the peak, east to the pass. The Inn is a tributary of the Danube
.
on the north (via the Septimer Pass
) to Maloja
in the Engadine on the east. The shortest access is from the latter. From Maloja (1810 m) the trail follows the young Inn river and leads to the pass in a few hours of walking.
A signposted multiday trekking route passes the pass as well, called Senda Segantini after the painter Giovanni Segantini
that worked on his most famous works in those areas.
Graubünden
Graubünden or Grisons is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. The canton shares borders with the cantons of Ticino, Uri, Glarus and St. Gallen and international borders with Italy, Austria and Liechtenstein...
, located in the Albula range
Albula Range
The Albula Alps is a mountain range in the Alps of eastern Switzerland. It is considered to be part of the Central Eastern Alps. It is named after the River Albula...
, overlooking the Maloja Pass. It can be considered as the "roof of Europe" as the water running off the mountain can head towards the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
or Black Sea
Black Sea
The Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
.
Geography and hydrography
Piz Lunghin lies at the upper end of the EngadinEngadin
The Engadin or Engadine is a long valley in the Swiss Alps located in the canton of Graubünden in southeast Switzerland. It follows the route of the Inn River from its headwaters at Maloja Pass running northeast until the Inn flows into Austria one hundred kilometers downstream...
(east) and Bregaglia
Val Bregaglia
The Val Bregaglia or Bergell Tal is an alpine valley of Switzerland and Italy at the base of which runs the river Mera River...
(west) valleys. The Maloja Pass
Maloja Pass
Maloja Pass is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps in the canton of Graubünden, linking the Engadin with the Val Bregaglia and Chiavenna in Italy...
, which connects the two valleys, is located 2 km south-east from the peak. The north side of the mountain lies in the protected area Parc Ela
Parc Ela
Parc Ela is a Nature Park in the canton of Graubünden, Switzerland. It is intended to protect the regional biotope, help promote its sustainable use and give a boost to an area rich in scenery and national cultural assets, but weak economically.Unlike Switzerland's only National Park, which is...
.
Albula River
Albula is a river of Switzerland, a tributary of Hinterrhein . Length: 36 km , Basin: 950 km² ....
, itself a tributary of the Rhine. From the south-west side the water flows towards the Mera River
Mera River
The Mera is a river in Switzerland and Italy. Its source is near the Maloja Pass, in Graubünden, Switzerland. It flows west through the Val Bregaglia and crosses the Italian border near Soglio...
in Val Bregaglia, a tributary of the Po
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
. Finally the Inn River
Inn River
The Inn is a river in Switzerland, Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Danube and is approximately 500km long. The highest point of its drainage basin is the summit of Piz Bernina, at 4,049 metres.- Geography :...
originates from Lägh dal Lunghin
Lägh dal Lunghin
Lägh dal Lunghin is a lake at an elevation of 2484 m, below the peak of Piz Lunghin, in the Graubünden, Switzerland. It is considered the source of the Inn River....
below the peak, east to the pass. The Inn is a tributary of the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
.
- The Rhine enters the North SeaNorth SeaIn the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
740 km north. - The Po enters the Adriatic SeaAdriatic SeaThe Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
275 km south. - The Danube enters the Black SeaBlack SeaThe Black Sea is bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and the Aegean seas and various straits. The Bosphorus strait connects it to the Sea of Marmara, and the strait of the Dardanelles connects that sea to the Aegean...
1560 km east.
Climbing and hiking
The summit can be reached easily from the north flank via a trail starting from the Lunghin Pass. The pass connects BivioBivio
Bivio is a municipality in the district of Albula of the Swiss canton of Graubünden.-History:Bivio is first mentioned about 840 as de stabulo Bivio. At one time it was known, in German, as Stallen and until 1895/1903 by its Italian name Stalla.-Geography:Bivio has an area, , of...
on the north (via the Septimer Pass
Septimer Pass
Septimer Pass is a high mountain pass in the canton of Graubünden in the Swiss Alps between the valleys of Bregaglia and Oberhalbstein ....
) to Maloja
Stampa
Stampa is a former municipality in the Maloja district of the Swiss canton, Graubünden. It is now part of the municipality of Bregaglia.-Geography:Stampa has an area, , of . Of this area, 14.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 18.8% is forested...
in the Engadine on the east. The shortest access is from the latter. From Maloja (1810 m) the trail follows the young Inn river and leads to the pass in a few hours of walking.
A signposted multiday trekking route passes the pass as well, called Senda Segantini after the painter Giovanni Segantini
Giovanni Segantini
Giovanni Segantini was an Italian painter known for his large pastoral landscapes of the Alps. He was one of the most famous artists in Europe in the late 19th century, and his paintings were collected by major museums. In later life he combined a Divisionist painting style with Symbolist images...
that worked on his most famous works in those areas.